


Black Coffee

by CandiedSpectres



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Oneshot!Kaneki, based on that one pic I drew, ghoul!Hide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-10-18
Packaged: 2018-04-27 01:13:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5027998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CandiedSpectres/pseuds/CandiedSpectres
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was never meant to be anything more than an easy meal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Black Coffee

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry it took so long to get this finished lmao

The inner workings of the mind are a peculiar thing; so peculiar, in fact, that many do not even know what sort of chemicals come together to create the lovely, tingling sensation of pure, unadulterated hatred.   
This process is no different for ghouls, as their stomachs and tongues do not change their mental processes. 

A certain, particularly cranky ghoul often experiences this feeling, a tingling heat that sets his blood aflame while forcing a smile onto his lips. 

He really doesn't know why he chose a job that involved constant interaction with others at the asscrack of dawn.

Kaneki Ken doesn't like mornings, to say the least, but his paycheck relies on his ability to at least function in a conversation without flipping the bird to a paying customer. He often finds himself falling into the same process of fake smiles and generic, short responses, which seems to work well enough to keep money in his pocket.

However, the line has to be drawn somewhere.

It hasn't even been a half an hour into his morning shift, and Kaneki already wants to leave the counter to hide in the secluded silence of the stock room.  
After all, one can only have so many uncomfortable interactions with tired college students and surprisingly peppy men and women in running clothes.

Slumping down onto the counter, Kaneki tried to take a few deep breaths to relax his nerves, and nearly groaned aloud when he heard the bell ring, signifying the arrival of another customer.

Unable to find the energy to lift himself up, Kaneki kept his head on the counter.

He heard the shuffling noise of feet, and the scrape of a stool across the wood floor, followed by a few moments of silence.  
Was this guy going to order or what?  
Kaneki was starting to get irritated, and he was almost foaming at the mouth when he felt something tap his shoulder repeatedly.

"Hey man, come on! Wakey wakey eggs and bakey!" 

He was ready to bite this guy's head off, and he hadn't even said hello.

"Good morning starshine, the earth says, 'hello!'"

Trying his best to conceal the sheer amount of rage that was building in his body, Kaneki sleepily raised his head, rubbing his eyes.  
The guy who had decided to intrude on his brief nap looked way too awake for such an early hour.

"Ah, sorry about that. Welcome to Anteiku."  
Kaneki's voice was undeniably tired, and held a sort of low, raspy tone to it as he forced out a kind greeting.

The customer smiled widely, running a hand through his bleached hair.  
Were those his roots?   
Was this guy trying to be some flashy trend-setter, or was he just really lazy and stupid?  
"It's cool, dude, I totally get it!"  
He exclaimed cheerfully,  
"Maybe you need some caffeine? I know I do!"

Kaneki had never loathed someone as much as he loathed this guy right now.

First he interrupts a well-deserved nap, and now he thinks he can be all buddy-buddy?  
To hell with that.  
What was he even doing here anyways?  
This guy clearly didn't need any caffeine in his system.  
His muscles strained to keep a friendly smile on his face as he tried to get his job done as quickly as possible.

"Ah, no, I'm just a little tired this morning. What can I get you?" Kaneki responded with an attempt at a light-hearted tone, but it really just wasn't working for him.

The customer looked him straight in the eyes with a sort of stare that went right through him, making him feel bare and exposed.  
There was no way this guy could tell he was a ghoul, right?

"Hey, you don't need to fake it. I can see that you're tired, so don't worry, I don't mind if you're a little snappy," The man gave a small smile, and then studied the menu intently,  
"Hmmm, I think I'll have plain black coffee!"  
Kaneki immediately relaxed his face, which reflexively became a scowl,  
"Mkay, coming right up."

At least now he didn't have to strain himself, and black coffee didn't take too much effort to make.  
He assumed that he could just give him to coffee and be done with this particular interaction, but of course, this guy wanted to chat.

"This is such a nice little shop, I don't know why I haven't come here before,"  
He mused, looking around the cozy interior of the cafe,  
"Let's see if your coffee is up to snuff!"  
After sliding the proper amount of money over the counter, he took a long sip of the freshly made beverage, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

He flashed the ghoul a big smile, and a small spark of anticipation ignited within Kaneki's mind.  
"Man, this is delicious! Probably the best I've ever had!"  
Kaneki couldn't help but smile a bit.  
He loved getting compliments on his brewing skills, even if he was cranky.

The man looked at his watch as he finished the cup, standing up from the stool and stretching.  
"Well, I gotta head out! Thanks for the coffee!" He stated as he walked towards the door,  
"See you around!"

Kaneki let out a sigh as the door closed, and prayed that the rest of the day would be slow.

 

The customer's name turned out to Nagachika Hideyoshi, though he preferred to be called Hide.  
He went to Kamii University, loved black coffee, and owned a collector's edition Backstreet Boys poster and CD.  
He liked Western music and bleached his hair.

Was it necessary for Kaneki to know all of this in under three days?  
Probably not.  
Did that stop Hide from telling him all of this?  
Nope.

In fact, Hide became so persistent on being friends with the barista that Kaneki just gave up on trying to resist.  
He still found Hide's energetic personality irritating, but he did occasionally find something worth talking about with the other man.

It was after the fifth day of Hide's daily coffee runs that Kaneki realized something.  
The other man carried an absolutely delicious scent on him, a harmony of mellow sweetness that almost seemed a bit aged.

It was in that very moment that Kaneki had begun his pursuit to hunt and devour Hide.

It would certainly take time.  
He had to grow a close bond with the other man, because, believe or not, Hide was incredibly observant. If Kaneki made it too obvious that he was hunting him down, or that he was a ghoul, he would be in some pretty hot water. 

He had to make it seem like he was just genuinely interested in becoming his friend, which seemed pretty doable, considering Kaneki's proficiency for putting up a facade.  
Starting their bond was easy enough, as Hide seemed to want to be friends with Kaneki already.

It started out as just idle conversation in the mornings when Hide came to get the usual cup of black coffee, which then evolved into exchanged phone numbers.

It was Hide who had invited Kaneki to go out on the town.

As they walked along the sidewalks, there was a sort of tension, like Kaneki was being observed closely by the other man.  
The ghoul didn't like it at all.

Attempting to seem more human-like, he offered to treat the both of them to some sort of quick sweet. Kaneki wasn't really sure what it was, and he didn't really care.  
Hide politely declined Kaneki's offer, though, and the barista ended up choking down the pastry in order to prove a point, as if it would make his human image more believable.

After a couple more weeks, Kaneki could confidently say that he had become friends with Hide, though his interest lay only in the other's delicious scent.

He decided that it had been long enough.  
Kaneki had restrained himself from devouring Hide for far too long, and he was about to burst from his intense desire.

Pulling out his phone, he texted Hide, asking him if he'd like to go out for a bit.  
He replied with an exuberant "Sure!" and a cute emoticon.  
Kaneki pulled a black jacket over his shoulders, and soon left when Hide arrived at his apartment.

The ghoul led Hide across town, holding a friendly conversation the entire way there.  
It was clear that Hide was a bit suspicious of their route, but Kaneki didn't care.   
The other man would be dead soon, so there wasn't much he could do to get him exposed.

They finally came upon a dark alley, the air thick with silence and emptiness. Before Hide could ask any questions, Kaneki nailed him in the chest with a strong kick that sent him flying down the alleyway.

Hide hit the wall with a loud, sickening crack, slumping down against it as blood dribbled out of his mouth. Kaneki drew nearer and nearer, rinkaku pulsating as they prepared to strike the blonde with a devastating blow.

With a confident smirk, Kaneki wrapped his hand around Hide's neck, lifting him up against the brick wall.

"Sorry Hide, you're just too delicious for your own good." He sneered, tightening his grip,  
"So now I'm gonna devour you. Thanks for being a nuisance."

Hide's throat tensed and trembled as it tried to make a noise. A puff of air pushed past his lips in the form of a breathy chuckle.  
He inserted his hands into his pockets, looking down at a confused Kaneki with a grin.

"Oh man, that's just too good." Hide laughed, seemingly unaffected by the hand around his neck, "I can't believe you were actually this stupid ."  
Kaneki was fuming,  
"What the hell do you mean by that?"

Hide chuckled once more, closing his eyes.  
He wiped a bit of the blood from lips onto his fingers, and held it out Kaneki.  
"Here, have a taste," he offered, a confident grin still on his face.

Kaneki hesitated for a moment before poking out his tongue to lap at the blood.  
The second he made contact with it, his tongue exploded into a bitter taste, engulfing his senses with an unpleasant sensation.

"What the hell!?" He exclaimed loudly.  
Hide couldn't hold back his laughter at the reaction. When his eyes opened , the whites had been replaced with a dark black shade, honey-brown irises morphing into a piercing red hue that stood out against the dark background.

The realization crashed over Kaneki, overwhelming him to the point of letting go of Hide's throat and stumbling backwards.  
The blonde ghoul sank against the wall, refilling his lungs with precious air before wheezing out more laughter.

"Oh man," Hide breathed, finally standing up straight once more, "You should see the look on your face right now! It's like, the best thing I've seen all day!"

Kaneki was torn between being shocked and being really pissed off.  
How could he have not noticed?  
Everything about Hide's behavior screamed human, not to mention how delicious he had smelled.  
Then again, the stains on his black jeans started to seem more and more suspicious.

If there was one thing Kaneki hated more than talking to people in the mornings, it was being set up to look stupid.  
With a sound that was almost a roar, he charged at Hide once more, shoving him against the wall with an elbow at his throat.

"So this is how you get off?" Kaneki growled, his chest rumbling with each word,  
"By posing as human to trick other ghouls into preying on you?"  
He pushed forward with more force, his chest heaving as he forced hot breaths out of his lungs,  
"You're one sick and twisted bastard,"

Hide struggled against the stronger ghoul, kicking his legs out in an attempt to loosen the pressure on his throat.  
A solid hit on one of Kaneki's knees was enough to allow Hide to slip out of the strong grip.  
"This is actually the first time it's happened! I don't blame you though, I _am_ a great actor after all."  
With a daring glint in his eyes, he stepped forward, pressing a hand to Kaneki's firm chest, feeling the muscles ripple beneath his fingertips.  
"Besides.... I've had my eye on you for a while now," He purred, licking his lips.

This action created a sort of tension between the two, leaving both men to decide whether or not they should make a move.

The moment shattered when Hide jumped away from Kaneki, a bright blue bikaku launching him to the rooftops.

"See you around, Kaneki!" He called, waving before he darted off into the night.

The silence left in Hide's wake fell heavy upon Kaneki as he calmed from his rage.  
Somehow, he felt a very faint twinge of relief.  
It was almost as if he was a little glad he didn't eat Hide, but he immediately disregarded the though, and turned to head home. He hated Hide, right?  
Somehow, he wasn't completely sure.

 

We find our enemies in the strangest places, sometimes.  
When our minds detect strong feelings for someone, it could go two ways: love or hate.  
It's a uncommon event, but there are sometimes occasions in which one's own mind confuses the two, and leads them to believe they harbor hatred for someone they might actually love.

As much as he would deny it, this was happening to Kaneki.  
Despite how he had been played by the blonde ghoul, there was something about him that was especially alluring, something that quickened Kaneki's heartbeat whenever Hide came in for coffee in the morning while sending the barista a sly wink.

Perhaps it was because he had become so close to him in efforts to devour him. The attachment usually went away after he had successfully eaten his victim, but in Hide's case, he was stuck with feelings and no way to escape.  
Hide's likable personality in itself was very hard to avoid, and he wasn't too shabby in appearance either.

Was it a problem?  
Kaneki wasn't sure.  
What he did know, however, was that for once in his life, he had found someone who he didn't mind talking to in the morning.  
He could get used to this, and maybe, just maybe, that was exactly what he needed.

Kaneki Ken no longer dwelled in the doldrums at the early hours.  
He came to love the sun.  
And as time went on, he came to love Hide too.  
Once he had accepted his feelings, the ghoul finally started to lose his need to fake a smile for customers.  
He knew that every morning with the sunrise, Hide would be there.

And when Hide was there, Kaneki was happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Os!Kaneki is a confused little bara egg and I love him


End file.
